1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of floral pot covers that are made and then used to decorate the surface by surrounding the traditional flower pot or the like. This invention also relates to a novel pot cover made so as to present an elegant, brushed matte finish. This invention also relates to a process for the manufacture of elements that have this brushed matte finish.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a host of elements described in the prior art that are used to form covers for pots designed to hold flowers and shrubs, for example. Most of these are made using laminated materials that can be formed in a machine that forms the right shape useful to cover the desired pot and also make a filmy delicate looking cover that presents a look that disguises the actual pot and is pleasing to the eye of the purchaser. These elements also are useful for holding in excess water that may be present within said pot. These prior art elements are generally made by forming a self laminating polymer film into the desired shape under heat and pressure or alternatively may be made by laminating such a polymer layer to a thin aluminum layer and then putting the resulting laminate through the process of heat and pressure in specific equipment to form the pot cover. Much of the prior art is devoted to a plethora of such products changing only the shape or the process by which the heated lamination occurs.
The prior art describes the process of forming both round and pointed or squared pot covers and also describes how the surface may be modified in order to show a more decorative element. One conventional pot cover is made from just such a laminated polymer film/metalized film element with a square shape prior to insertion into the device which forms the actual pot cover. When this square shape is used, the pot cover will have a number of folds and pleats around the base of the pot and also a functional skirt portion that comes up and around the stems of the floral element, which then provides some structure and also obscures the soil within the pot. It is also usual to put a colored layer in between the metalized film and the polymer layer and this can be done by applying a dye or ink to one side of the polymer layer or on top of the metalized film polymer. In addition, various designs and the like can be applied to the outer surface so as to further decorate the pot cover itself. In the end the pot cover usually has the metalized film layer inside and the polymer later (which may be decorated) on the outside. The resulting product will hold water when the actual flower pot leaks out, for example, and at the same time provides decoration for which otherwise might be a plain pot.
Most of these conventional flower pot covers have a very shiny look and there has been a long standing need to provide a pot cover with an elegant, brushed matte finish. This brushed-like matte type finish is desirable in the art as it has a more elegant look. However, prior art film cannot be easily formed such that a matte finish will hold on the surface. This is due to the fact that one cannot make a polymer matte finish element that can easily have the ability to present color decorations and also to be heat sealed along with the normal aluminum element present. Many attempts have been made to impart this brushed look matte finish to these products without much success. The heat seal lamination of various products used to make decorative pot covers prevent such a matte finish because one cannot apply the requisite adhesive for such heat sealing in addition to any matte finish. Thus, there is a pressing need within the pot cover industry to have a matte finish on the pot cover itself and still maintain all of the other pot cover requirements.